Samantha Koon is an experienced educator, marketing and communications practitioner, and entrepreneur. She currently serves as the director of The Hoeft Technology and Management Program, an academic minor offered by the University of Illinois. In this role, she sets the strategic direction for the program and leads the planning and execution of a wide range of classroom and extracurricular activities. She spends considerable time working with students and industry leaders to craft learning experiences that equip students with the skills and insights to be successful in their early career endeavors.

Prior to joining the T&M Program, Samantha worked for more than 20 years leading the marketing and communications function for several non-profit and higher education organizations, including Illinois Extension, Millikin University, the International Society of Arboriculture, and the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University. She is a two-time Purdue grad with a bachelor’s degree in sales and marketing and a master’s degree in educational technology, and she has an MBA from Indiana University.

Samantha lives in Monticello, Illinois, with her husband and daughter. She is actively involved in a variety of community and professional associations. Samantha has started four separate business ventures in the past ten years, and she enjoys working with other small business owners to help them level up their marketing and branding efforts. She also teaches communications and entrepreneurship courses at the University of Illinois.